PATRICK Roberts walked up the Hampden steps 12 months ago clad in a Kieran Tierney jersey, devoting his part in the team’s treble celebrations to the pal he thought was still stuck in a dental operating theatre.
Just perhaps, should the Parkhead side make it a historic double treble this afternoon, somebody somewhere might be inclined to pay a touching tribute to him.
After 30 months, 76 appearances, 18 goals, and at least one character-building missed open goal at Hampden, this 21-year-old will sign off as a Celtic player this afternoon. It is a longer stint than Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama or Paolo Di Canio achieved at the club, even if this second loan stint has done little to increase his legend.
Dogged by a hamstring tear which kept him sidelined between November and March, for all the fanfare which greeted his arrival, he has started just seven league matches. The cracking goal he steered in against Anderlecht in Brussels was the only time he hit the target all season long. No wonder if the parting will be rather bittersweet come win, lose or draw today.
“I enjoyed it and that’s why I came back here,” said Roberts. “I thought I had unfinished business here and I wanted to come back. Unfortunately, it’s not panned out the way I’d hoped but being here has been a huge honour and I’ve enjoyed pulling on the shirt. I want to leave on high and get the trophy, especially for myself and the boys and the fans and the club. You can’t choose when you get injured so when it comes about you stay positive and stay mentally strong then come back and try to stay fit which I’ve done so far. The lads who have been playing have been brilliant so it’s been hard getting into the team. But I’ve been there training making sure everyone else is prepared. This club has been great and I’ve enjoyed every minute. I’ll keep enjoying it until the last second.”
The bonds formed between Celtic and Roberts over these two-and-a-half seasons will last forever. Perhaps one day he will even be back at the club. But the player himself seems convinced that his immediate future is in the Premier League.
Read more: Tom Rogic insists he can be a Celt for life as he looks to recreate Hampden heroics
Ideally, this would be playing his way into Manchester City’s plans, but short term Leicester City and West Ham are thought to be ready to bid for his services.
“I have aims in my head that I can climb Mount Everest but I don’t know if I’m going to do it or not,” said the 21-year-old. “I’ll have dreams and objectives where I want to be. But it’s about me putting it into place. Hopefully my career will pan out the way I want it to. But I just enjoy playing football. Wherever I play I just enjoy it. It doesn’t faze me. In the summer I’ll go back [to City] and see what happens.
“I’ve grown up here a lot,” he added. “I came at 18, I’d only played a few games at Fulham then went to Man City and didn’t play there.Coming here was my first big opportunity at men’s football. You grow up quite quickly with the physicality of the league and players.”
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